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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: saw · season · fall · hide · drill · rash · cabinet · chip

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. season — in sport
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. rash — hasty
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. rash — a series
  10. chip — to eat
  11. fall — to drop
  12. drill — a practice
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. drill — the tool
  15. drill — army training
  16. saw — the tool
  17. chip — for betting
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. season — of the year
  20. saw — the tool
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. fall — to drop
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. fall — the season

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com